Narendra Modi faces riots panel
Gandhinagar, Mar 27: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made an appearance before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2002 Gujarat riots here.
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This was the first time that Modi is being questioned in the riots case.
Recently, the CM had informed the SIT that he was willing to appear before the panel on Saturday. The Supreme Court had formed the special probe team in 2008.
Widow of Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, Zakia Jafri named Modi as one of the accused in her petition. The MP was killed by rioters in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002.
Zakiya accused Modi and 62 others of conspiracy during the riots in the case filed in the Supreme Court. According to her, senior ministers ordered bureaucrats and policemen not to respond to calls for help.
The Gujarat government defended the CM's appearing before the SIT saying that this shows he is a responsible citizen.
At least one thousand people lost their lives in the Gujarat communal riots of 2002.
